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da blaze casino： This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…
Leeds’ deadline day saw them bring in young goalkeeper Illan Meslier from Lorient.
The 19-year-old arrives on a loan deal, one which has the potential to be turned into a permanent transfer next summer if he does enough to impress.
Linked with Chelsea and Monaco in the past, this is a coup for Leeds who will be hoping he can be a valuable understudy to Kiko Casilla.
The Frenchman takes the place of Bailey Peacock-Farrell who was sold to Burnley after becoming Marcelo Bielsa’s number two in the second half of 2018/19.
However, despite Meslier’s potential, playing 28 times in Ligue 2 last term, he still has something to work on.
On the chalkboard
Whether Meslier can dislodge Casilla after arriving remains to be seen but after Leeds’ outing against Salford, it wouldn’t be a surprise if it happened sooner rather than later.
The Spaniard was good with his shot-stopping but it was once again in terms of his positioning that caught him out.
He came rushing out of his goal to get rid of a free-kick but instead missed the ball, meaning Gaetano Berardi had to scramble it away before the hosts scored.
And it’s positioning where Meslier also struggles. Speaking to Goal in 2018, Lionel Rouxel, his coach for France at U17 level said:
“He still has details to improve on his positioning and his communication, but he’s doing well.”
On paper, this could seem like an issue but with the help of Marcos Abad, Leeds’ current goalkeeper coach, he could soon outmuscle Casilla.
The fact of the matter is that at 32 it’ll be incredibly hard for someone of that age to undo an old habit.
The former Real Madrid man has a tendency to rush out of his goal and that was seen in the playoffs against Derby when he clashed with Liam Cooper.
Yet, if Abad can drill a sense of positioning into Meslier from a young age, it could be crucial not only to his own development but also for Leeds, especially if he signs permanently in a year.
It doesn’t appear as though Abad has been able to improve Casilla in the short space of time he’s been at the club but Meslier, who is still learning, could develop quickly if he has the right platform.
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